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Construction of $3-billion mini-city on the waterfront set to begin next year, BRA says

By adamg on Tue, 09/21/2010 - 11:04pm

The BRA details the Seaport Square project on the South Boston waterfront, which will create 20 new city blocks on what is now largely a set of parking lots.

Neighborhoods: 
South Boston
Free tagging: 
waterfront
Development
BRA


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Comments

By anon on Wed, 09/22/2010 - 12:16am.

To say the least!

By anon on Wed, 09/22/2010 - 4:19am.

FINANCING, I assume?

By APB on Wed, 09/22/2010 - 8:13am.

What the public transportation options would be? Just the Silver Line?

By HenryAlan on Wed, 09/22/2010 - 9:34am.

And yes, that's it. My hope is that developers will understand there is more value in their projects if they abut a light rail line. If so, they may put some pressure on the city and state to get the bus converted to light rail. But then again, I think I saw a unicorn in the Williams tunnel the other day.

By Scott M on Wed, 09/22/2010 - 10:03am.

The Silver Line really isn't that bad. Sure it's a little unorthodox, but I've never had any problems with them. The frequency (at least at rush hour) was always very good. Seems more reliable than the other lines as well.

By Finn on Wed, 09/22/2010 - 12:23pm.

Really? Did you give it the horn?

By HenryAlan on Wed, 09/22/2010 - 12:37pm.

I was left with only a finger to give back.

By Bean counter on Wed, 09/22/2010 - 10:28am.

Still don't understand the city's fascination with this area, but I'm all for it if the yuppies get a borough of their own to play in and leave the city's other neighborhoods alone. There are no amenities that aren't bars and restaurants, little connection to the rest of the city (though seaport residents really only need access to the Financial District) and few signs that anyone's really taking to the area (Fan Pier still not completed or sold out).

By anon on Wed, 09/22/2010 - 2:34pm.

I was at first not a big fan of the area, but have turned around. I am amazed at how much it has grown despite the "Great Recession" and have been saying for a few years at least that it won't be long before all of those cheap parking lots disappear. As far as amenities go, that is one thing that Seaport Square itself will address -- new retail, etc. I think one of the projects on the drawing board down there includes a supermarket, too.

It is too bad that nobody had the foresight to extend a branch of the Red Line down there rather than put in the Silver Line.

I wonder what the architecture of Seaport Square will look like. Here's a chance for Boston to get a whole new neighborhood that is modern, yet attractive. Let's hope we don't blow it.

By anon on Wed, 09/22/2010 - 4:03pm.

I'm pretty sure the Silver line was supposed to be one contiguous line (rather than the confusing collection of bus lines), but they neglected to dig the hole connecting the tunnel part (with the awesome stations) and the bus part. If they do that and lay down track they could have trolley service in no time.

The Silver Line stations really are magnificent in the Waterfront area.

By Arborway on Wed, 09/22/2010 - 6:32pm.

The Silver Line actually travels at a slower speed in its dedicated tunnel than it does in mixed traffic on surface streets. Which begs the question: why is there a tunnel in the first place?

The roadway is already in terrible shape, and has been for a very long time now. The damage in these pictures has gone unfixed for well over a year. Not so much as a patch job. A trip through the busway is painfully slow, and feels like it's on a dirt road. Which is quickly becoming a reality.

(Click the thumbnails for the full-sized images)

IMAGE(http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/3973/silver4e.th.jpg)

IMAGE(http://img63.imageshack.us/img63/6539/silver1c.th.jpg)

IMAGE(http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/6561/silver3.th.jpg)

By anon on Wed, 09/22/2010 - 4:07pm.

here's a great ppt I just found from Jan 2010:
http://www.seaportsquare.com/PDFs/SeaportSquareCom...

By central squared on Wed, 09/22/2010 - 3:19pm.

This is great if it actually ever happens. Any movement to turn that useless wasteland into a liveable, multi-use, vibrant area is good news.

By GeeJimmy on Wed, 09/22/2010 - 6:47pm.

Shouldn't John B. Hynes III focus on fixing the Filene's Basement mess first? On the other hand, if Seaport Sq tanks, it won't create an eyesore in the middle of downtown.

By John-W on Wed, 09/22/2010 - 10:29pm.

By the time they get the money nailed down and finally get all the construction done (permitting should be a breeze given that this is the BRA's chew toy) I'll be so old and curmudgeonly I'll probably just get sucked into my own asshole and disappear.

Just the same ... I have to say that I think urban planners blow monkeys.